Anyang

Anyang, Wade-Giles romanizationAn-yang, city, northern Henansheng (province), northeast-central China, on the Anyang River, a tributary of the Wei River. It was important in history as the site of the ancient city of Yin, the capital of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 bce) from the 14th century bce; the Shang palace stood about 10 miles (16 km) west of the present city. Anyang declined when the succeeding Zhou capital arose at Luoyang to the southwest. Archaeological excavations have revealed historical remains of the Shang, illustrating the splendour and advanced stage of the civilization that developed there and providing authentic evidence of the ancient civilization of China.

Yinxu (“The Ruins of Yin”), the site of the Shang capital at Anyang, had been known to scholars since the turn of the 20th century through the accidental discovery in 1899 of inscribed oracle bones, the earliest Chinese written records. It was not until 1928, however, that the first organized scientific expedition started systematic excavation of these remains under the auspices of Academia Sinica, organized by the Nationalist government of the Republic of China. Fieldwork was carried out by the archaeologist Li Ji from 1928 until the Japanese invasion in 1937. The finds include building foundations, bronzes, chariots, pottery, stone and jade, and thousands of oracle bones. Several other excavations were conducted after 1950. Yinxu was designated a UNESCOWorld Heritage site in 2006.

Anyang has been a regional agricultural and trade centre for centuries. In contemporary times, it became a station on the main north-south rail line from Beijing to Guangzhou (Canton); in addition it is on the expressway from Beijing to Zhuhai (near Macau). Coal mining is important. Anyang’s textile mills and food-processing plants have been supplemented by heavier manufactures since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. More recently, high-technology industries have been established. Tourism has also grown in significance. Pop. (2002 est.) city, 570,773; (2007 est.) urban agglom., 887,000.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager.